U of A student government votes against guns on campus

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. —University of Arkansas student representatives on Tuesday debated and voted against attempts by state legislators to allow faculty and staff to carry firearms on campus.

Collins made amendments to his bill after students and faculty voiced opposition to the bill at local legislative forums. The changes allow schools to opt-out of eliminating their gun-free zones, but only if their Board of Trustees votes to do so annually. Student senators at the University of Arkansas on Tuesday voted not to support the policy.

Several university employees spoke in opposition to the bill Tuesday, including Director of Fulbright College Honor Studies Dr. Sidney Burris, who started an online petition to fight against it. The petition has garnered almost 2,000 signatures in less than three weeks, according to a ASG news release.

Students voted down a resolution which would have allowed students to carry guns on campus as well, and passed a resolution supporting the University’s current gun-free policy.